‘Surreal’ scenes at Brisbane airport as CQ women evacuate

Tears flow as the “mutant” Covid strain causes lockdown.

Travellers from New Zealand arrive at Brisbane Airport on January 07.

A Central Queensland duo has nothing but praise for airline staff who got them back in the air just hours after arriving at Brisbane on Friday morning.

The pair, who wish to remain anonymous, had a full long weekend’s worth of appointments planned when they boarded the Virgin flight from Rockhampton around seven o’clock this morning.

It wasn’t until after they landed they caught wind something was wrong, when a venue they had hired phoned to say it would need to cancel.

The cancellation was in response to the Queensland Premier’s announcement that five “hotspots” would go into lockdown from 6pm Friday.

A hotel quarantine worker in Brisbane tested positive to the so-called “mutant” strain of COVID which is reportedly 70 per cent more contagious than the normal virus.

Brisbane City, Ipswich, Redlands, Logan and Moreton will enter lockdown tonight - there are already reports of shoppers queueing around the blocks outside shopping centres to stock up on masks and other essentials.

But the Morning Bulletin’s source said the Brisbane airport was eerily quiet.

“We thought it could start to get a bit crazy so we headed straight to the service desk,” she said.

“They had no hesitation in booking us onto a mid-afternoon flight without charging us any extra fees.”

As they spend their last hours in Brisbane before flying home, the women have noticed everyone around them has started wearing masks.

“Brisbane’s not used to this but everyone responded so quickly; it’s amazing how resilent we are,” one said.

“There were a few tears but not of anger.

“I think people are just frustrated and a bit afraid.”

The local women have masks and hand sanitiser ready for the flight home.

They will comply with advice, issued to everyone who has visited Brisbane since January 2, to go into lockdown for three days.